AS WE ENTER t-shirts-on-the-sideline weather, to paraphrase Liam Cahill, there are just eight matches and six teams left in the Hurling Championship.
Before we advance to the provincial final previews and All-Ireland Series reads, what can we take from the Munster and Leinster round-robins?
The hot topic
The championship structure, or indeed its timing, has been referenced by some eliminated managers. Waterford boss Peter Queally has championed a separate All-Ireland Series involving all teams, akin to the other Gaelic Games competitions.
James Lawlor / INPHO
James Lawlor / INPHO / INPHO
Hurling has six of its 11 Liam MacCarthy counties remaining. Across all tiers, it’s 14 out of 36 teams hurling into June. Whatever about the top level, it would surely benefit those counties in tiers two through five to play deeper into the summer months. Only the finalists in each will see June game time.
Gaelic football has almost all of its 33 entrants still standing, barring the first four fallers in the Tailteann Cup. The All-Ireland Camogie Championships are only just underway. The All-Ireland LGFA Championships are still another week away.
The primary difference versus hurling is that the provincial link to those All-Irelands has either been weakened (in the football codes, it chiefly applies to seeding) or severed (camogie).
In hurling, the Munster Championship has become a spectator frenzy and a prized earner. A total attendance figure of 127,992 came through the turnstiles for the final edition of the old four-game knock-out system. That almost doubled in 2018, and has only grown since then to the 329,299 who attended the 11 games last year. Cork are set for their 14th consecutive championship sell-out next week.
Perhaps swapping the hurling and football All-Ireland dates would buy some summer breathing space. But so long as the final dates remain fixed and the provinces stay integral – with that vital element of cutthroat competitiveness that sees Tipperary and Kilkenny dumped out – it’s a problem without a simple answer.
Growing the game
Whatever about the traditional competitors’ issues, seeing Kildare restored to Liam MacCarthy hurling and facing Kilkenny in a first-ever championship meeting was a landmark moment.
Kildare's Muiris Curtin rises to catch the sliotar against Kilkenny at UPMC Nowlan Park. James Lawlor / INPHO
James Lawlor / INPHO / INPHO
The Lilywhites have risen through the ranks with back-to-back Christy Ring and Joe McDonagh silverware in 2024 and ‘25 and stabilising as a Division 1B outfit with three wins this spring.
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It doesn’t do much for the spread of hurling to see a team that was able to jump 12 points clear of Galway relegated straight back down despite commendable performances. Some stability might also have afforded Westmeath a better platform after beating Wexford in 2023 and Carlow after drawing with Kilkenny in 2024.
Of course, teams have to earn their own footing, but with Offaly hurling resurgent, those aspiring counties must contend with the traditional provincial powerhouses to earn more than one term at this level.
If hurling is to take root, a better blueprint is needed for counties making that final step.
Mind the gap
It was a lacklustre Munster championship this term as Cork and Limerick breezed away from Clare and Tipperary. When the latter pair met, it looked like the decisive clash of the series, but the Banner stretched away for a record win.
Cork’s Alan Connolly scores a goal past Limerick goalkeeper Nickie Quaid. Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
Waterford were competitive, but their losses were ultimately by four-, six-, and nine-point margins. That said, the Déise provided two of the more memorable games away to Clare and home to Tipperary, bagging a last-gasp levelling goal after a brilliant comeback looked set to be rebuffed. Liam Cahill later referred to it as the “dagger” to their All-Ireland defence.
Cork-Limerick was the other standout tie and their Munster final will determine how this Munster Championship is looked back on.
Breakthrough stars
For all that Ben O’Connor has stuck with the vast majority of Cork’s starting team from last year, those newcomers have brought an injection of energy straight from his U20 teams of recent years.
Cork forward William Buckley in action. James Lawlor / INPHO
James Lawlor / INPHO / INPHO
William Buckley was man of the match on his debut in Tipp and tallied 0-15 across four games, while also laying on scores such as Brian Hayes’s goal against Clare.
Barry Walsh is still U20, but, belying his years, his pace and power allow him to mix it in the half-forward line against more seasoned defenders.
Diarmuid Stritch didn’t fire against Cork, but his roving six-point man-of-the-match haul in Tipp was the key reason for Clare’s progression to the All-Ireland Series.
Seán Mackey is another U20 making a big impression for Waterford, while Aaron O’Neill slotted in seamlessly in defence.
Injury-hit Aaron Niland and Jason Rabbitte have fast become mainstays of the Galway attack, while it remains to be seen if they line out in the All-Ireland U20 final against Clare on Sunday.
On a youthful Offaly team, Shane Rigney is the latest off the production line.
Keeping the faith
Speaking of the Faithful, Offaly’s transition from underage promise to senior hurling has been navigated more smoothly than expected on the evidence of this term.
Offaly huddle before playing Kildare. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO
Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO
It didn’t look that way in the league as their squad depth was stretched to its limit amid six consecutive defeats by a combined 70 points.
Since then, there has been just one loss to Galway, draws with Dublin and Kilkenny, and progression-securing wins over Wexford and Kildare.
Nine players who played in the 2023 and ‘24 All-Ireland U20 finals populate the starting team. Yet equal credit must go to the likes of Ben Conneely, Killian Sampson, Ciarán Burke, and Ross Ravenhill for providing the defensive spine to build upon.
The biggest tests lie ahead. What can they produce against Cork or Limerick in an All-Ireland quarter-final?
Kilkenny’s decline
From being eliminated by the eventual All-Ireland champions for the last four years, including two final defeats, Kilkenny’s falloff has been sharp.
Tom Phelan dejected after Kilkenny's loss to Dublin. Bryan Keane / INPHO
Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO
The loudest voices internally have focused on underage structures and a reversion to the hurling that delivered a glut of Liam MacCarthys in previous decades.
The Cats simply must adapt better to the modern game. Rather than being lost between both styles, they need to find the sweet spot and go with it. Player depth is an issue, too, as their bench has appeared underpowered and untrusted in recent years.
Derek Lyng’s future remains up in the air, with Henry Shefflin waiting in the wings, while Brian Dowling has made an impression up the road in Kildare.
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Young guns, punishing formats and Kilkenny's decline: Talking points from the round-robins
AS WE ENTER t-shirts-on-the-sideline weather, to paraphrase Liam Cahill, there are just eight matches and six teams left in the Hurling Championship.
Before we advance to the provincial final previews and All-Ireland Series reads, what can we take from the Munster and Leinster round-robins?
The hot topic
The championship structure, or indeed its timing, has been referenced by some eliminated managers. Waterford boss Peter Queally has championed a separate All-Ireland Series involving all teams, akin to the other Gaelic Games competitions.
Hurling has six of its 11 Liam MacCarthy counties remaining. Across all tiers, it’s 14 out of 36 teams hurling into June. Whatever about the top level, it would surely benefit those counties in tiers two through five to play deeper into the summer months. Only the finalists in each will see June game time.
Gaelic football has almost all of its 33 entrants still standing, barring the first four fallers in the Tailteann Cup. The All-Ireland Camogie Championships are only just underway. The All-Ireland LGFA Championships are still another week away.
The primary difference versus hurling is that the provincial link to those All-Irelands has either been weakened (in the football codes, it chiefly applies to seeding) or severed (camogie).
In hurling, the Munster Championship has become a spectator frenzy and a prized earner. A total attendance figure of 127,992 came through the turnstiles for the final edition of the old four-game knock-out system. That almost doubled in 2018, and has only grown since then to the 329,299 who attended the 11 games last year. Cork are set for their 14th consecutive championship sell-out next week.
Perhaps swapping the hurling and football All-Ireland dates would buy some summer breathing space. But so long as the final dates remain fixed and the provinces stay integral – with that vital element of cutthroat competitiveness that sees Tipperary and Kilkenny dumped out – it’s a problem without a simple answer.
Growing the game
Whatever about the traditional competitors’ issues, seeing Kildare restored to Liam MacCarthy hurling and facing Kilkenny in a first-ever championship meeting was a landmark moment.
The Lilywhites have risen through the ranks with back-to-back Christy Ring and Joe McDonagh silverware in 2024 and ‘25 and stabilising as a Division 1B outfit with three wins this spring.
It doesn’t do much for the spread of hurling to see a team that was able to jump 12 points clear of Galway relegated straight back down despite commendable performances. Some stability might also have afforded Westmeath a better platform after beating Wexford in 2023 and Carlow after drawing with Kilkenny in 2024.
Of course, teams have to earn their own footing, but with Offaly hurling resurgent, those aspiring counties must contend with the traditional provincial powerhouses to earn more than one term at this level.
If hurling is to take root, a better blueprint is needed for counties making that final step.
Mind the gap
It was a lacklustre Munster championship this term as Cork and Limerick breezed away from Clare and Tipperary. When the latter pair met, it looked like the decisive clash of the series, but the Banner stretched away for a record win.
Waterford were competitive, but their losses were ultimately by four-, six-, and nine-point margins. That said, the Déise provided two of the more memorable games away to Clare and home to Tipperary, bagging a last-gasp levelling goal after a brilliant comeback looked set to be rebuffed. Liam Cahill later referred to it as the “dagger” to their All-Ireland defence.
Cork-Limerick was the other standout tie and their Munster final will determine how this Munster Championship is looked back on.
Breakthrough stars
For all that Ben O’Connor has stuck with the vast majority of Cork’s starting team from last year, those newcomers have brought an injection of energy straight from his U20 teams of recent years.
William Buckley was man of the match on his debut in Tipp and tallied 0-15 across four games, while also laying on scores such as Brian Hayes’s goal against Clare.
Barry Walsh is still U20, but, belying his years, his pace and power allow him to mix it in the half-forward line against more seasoned defenders.
Diarmuid Stritch didn’t fire against Cork, but his roving six-point man-of-the-match haul in Tipp was the key reason for Clare’s progression to the All-Ireland Series.
Seán Mackey is another U20 making a big impression for Waterford, while Aaron O’Neill slotted in seamlessly in defence.
Injury-hit Aaron Niland and Jason Rabbitte have fast become mainstays of the Galway attack, while it remains to be seen if they line out in the All-Ireland U20 final against Clare on Sunday.
On a youthful Offaly team, Shane Rigney is the latest off the production line.
Keeping the faith
Speaking of the Faithful, Offaly’s transition from underage promise to senior hurling has been navigated more smoothly than expected on the evidence of this term.
It didn’t look that way in the league as their squad depth was stretched to its limit amid six consecutive defeats by a combined 70 points.
Since then, there has been just one loss to Galway, draws with Dublin and Kilkenny, and progression-securing wins over Wexford and Kildare.
Nine players who played in the 2023 and ‘24 All-Ireland U20 finals populate the starting team. Yet equal credit must go to the likes of Ben Conneely, Killian Sampson, Ciarán Burke, and Ross Ravenhill for providing the defensive spine to build upon.
The biggest tests lie ahead. What can they produce against Cork or Limerick in an All-Ireland quarter-final?
Kilkenny’s decline
From being eliminated by the eventual All-Ireland champions for the last four years, including two final defeats, Kilkenny’s falloff has been sharp.
The loudest voices internally have focused on underage structures and a reversion to the hurling that delivered a glut of Liam MacCarthys in previous decades.
The Cats simply must adapt better to the modern game. Rather than being lost between both styles, they need to find the sweet spot and go with it. Player depth is an issue, too, as their bench has appeared underpowered and untrusted in recent years.
Derek Lyng’s future remains up in the air, with Henry Shefflin waiting in the wings, while Brian Dowling has made an impression up the road in Kildare.
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GAA Hurling Kildare GAA Kilkenny GAA Leinster GAA Munster GAA Offaly GAA Provincial Hurling